The One with the Restaurant Food

I just borrowed my new favorite cookbook from the library.

I absolutely love it.

And I hate the thought of having to return it eventually.

*sad face*

It was on my wish list.

I was hoping Kevin would convince someone it was the most important item on that list.

Aside from the 30 Day Shred.

The two would balance each other out if you will.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks.

It's perfection.

And decidedly not low fat.

Better than I expected it would be.

I read through most all of it already.

Ree is so witty.

So real.

So my bff.

Or maybe that's just in my imagination.

Kevin thinks I have a girl crush.

And I just might freely admit it.

Although I don't think he'll mind.

As soon as her recipes hit our table, we'll both be in love.

I'm still waiting on book one of Karen Kingsbury's Redemption series.

I now have book 2 and 3.

I didn't want to have to be on a waiting list for those too.

When I mentioned my long wait to the librarian, she got to work for me.

Requested it to be delivered from outside the library system.

I was so thrilled.

Now I just hope it comes soon.

Not that I don't have my own series to read.

It's nice to be completely ready for the day by 7:30am.

These past two mornings I decided to change my routine.

Now I'm waking up at 5:30am.

With my husband.

I had been "sleeping in" until 6:30, giving me just enough time to make a lunch for him before he leaves for a subbing job.

But with my own substitute teaching job around the corner, I thought I needed to get my butt in gear.

By getting up at 5:30 I have time to do my devotions.

Workout.

Make breakfast.

And lunches.

(Time to cool down before showering.

I hate getting out of the shower when I'm still sweating from my workout.)

Shower.

And fiddle around with this or that and still be completely ready by 7:30.

That is, I believe, the earliest I'll have to leave for an elementary sub job.

So I think I'm good to go.

I thought the 5:30 thing would be more difficult than it is.

But it's nice to be up with my husband.

And it's even nicer to be more than ready for my day at the same time I normally start it.

5:30.

Crazy?

Maybe.

I'm not a newspaper boy.

Or a farmer.

Or a mother.

But I'm ok with this.

Especially since Kevin's been serving me all along by going to bed at 10-10:30 when I want to.

Now I can wake up when he wants to.

Kevin was getting really frustrated.

He hadn't had a sub job since last Thursday.

And he didn't get called Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.

But we tried to make the best of our time together.

Yesterday we cashed in on one of our Christmas gifts from a youth group family.

An Olive Garden gift card.

We had a late lunch.

I had my favorite soup, salad, and breadsticks.

Mmm, minestrone.

Kevin ordered his non-stop craving...fettuccine alfredo.

It was nice to get out.

And even nicer to not to have to pay.

I have a weird relationship with eating out.

Sometimes I'm just in the mood.

I don't feel like coming up with something to cook.

Or I need a change in scenery.

Or I'm craving french fries.

But when it comes right down to it, I struggle.

It's hard for me to spend four times the amount I could spend on a meal made at home.

A meal that I could prepare.

So I try not to order items I can make just as tasty in my own home.

Hence the french fries.

It's one of the only items I don't make.

Just because I try not to fry things.

So I like to reserve fried items for dinners out.

But then, when we decide to go out, and I know I'm going to order something fried, I have a hard time choosing a restaurant that charges 3 times more than a fast food joint and where I have to tip the waitress.

Thus, many times, it's just nice to "splurge" for fast food.

But every once in a while, a nicer restaurant is a needed (re)treat.

Especially when the tab's on someone else.

I'll go out to dinner anytime if someone else is paying.

You know, just in case you were wanting to treat us.

I didn't want you to get the wrong idea.